The long search and looking at possibilities is over, the haggling over price is finished, and you’ve qualified for the loan. Now, your dream is about to become a reality – but there remains one final and important step in buying a Northwest Arkansas house. And that, of course, is closing. You don’t, however, have to be so nervous and anxious if you know what to expect at the closing table.
What Is Closing?
Closing for buying a Northwest Arkansas house really is nothing more than a gathering of the buyer, seller, and their various representatives. It’s where the important documents are signed, the money exchanges hands, and the title is transferred. In most cases, a closing agent (hired by the buyer, buyer’s lender, or title insurance company) will prepare the documents and oversee the proceedings.
What to Expect At The Closing Table
Cautions – Before the closing date arrives, you should make sure a proper title search has been conducted and that there are no liens or other transference issues that could gum up the works. Typically, your lender will require and ensure execution of a title search of public property records, but oversights and mistakes are still possible. Remember: you can’t take title and complete the closing if the title isn’t clear. This is why it’s important to hire a great Title Company.
In addition, you will want to carefully review the documents before signing, especially the settlement statement. This document lays out how much the buyer pays and how much the seller will make on the sale, as well as the tax implications. So you need to make absolutely sure that the figures in the settlement agreement are exactly what they should be.
Time – When buying a Northwest Arkansas house, you can expect the closing to take place at the office of the closing agent, at the Title Company. The whole process typically takes about an hour because it involves the signing of a bunch of documents comprising 50 to 100 total pages – for example, tax forms, title forms, affidavits, promissory note, deed of trust, and various disclosure forms. (A good closing agent will be willing and able to explain these many documents if you need it.)
People – Although the exact number depends on the transaction, there will be several people at the closing table. Buying a Northwest Arkansas house involves a state-sanctioned closing process requiring that certain key people with legally recognized expertise to be present. This cast of closing characters can include the following: you (the buyer), the home seller (of course), your real estate agent, the seller’s agent, possibly your attorneys, title company representative, and (occasionally) a mortgage lender representative.
Potential Problems – What to expect at the closing table can, on occasion, involve last-minute problems and issues. If everything goes according to plan at the closing (and most of the time it does), you’ll leave that office with a sheaf of signed papers, a lighter wallet, and the keys to your new house. Still, you should be aware that sometimes things go wrong.
Maybe a crucial document is missing or a name misspelled – those things will have to be put right for the closing process to reach its conclusion – or maybe one of the key parties got hung up in traffic. The point is to be aware that in a few cases things do go awry and delay closing. So be sure to allow time for these problems in your scheduling.
Buying a house can be a long process filled with waiting and anxiety. Even when you know what to expect at the closing table, things can go wrong. But what if there was an easier, faster way? If that’s what you’re interested in for buying a Northwest Arkansas house, I may have just the solution you’re looking for.